Co-sleeping with your baby may not be recommended, but it’s a reality that many parents will experience at some point. Whether it’s due to exhaustion or other reasons, it’s important to know how to make co-sleeping as safe as possible. In this video, Emma Hubbard provides 7 essential tips to ensure the safety of co-sleeping with your baby. She covers everything from setting up the co-sleeping environment to positioning your baby correctly and avoiding potential risks. Remember, even if you only co-sleep occasionally, it’s crucial to prioritize safety. Take a few minutes to watch this informative video and learn how to make co-sleeping safer for you and your little one.
Co-sleeping can lead to an increased risk of SIDS, suffocation, and sleep-related infant deaths, especially within the first 12 months. To minimize these risks, the first step is to prepare the co-sleeping environment properly. Make sure you have a firm, flat mattress and avoid placing anything soft underneath your baby, as this can increase the risk of overheating and accidental suffocation. Additionally, avoid having pillows, blankets, or soft toys within your baby’s reach. Emma covers all these essential tips and more in her video, so make sure to watch it and gain valuable insights on how to make co-sleeping as safe as possible for both you and your baby.
Setting up the co-sleeping environment
When it comes to co-sleeping with your baby, it’s important to set up the environment in a way that promotes safety. Here are some tips to help you create a safe sleeping space:
Sleeping on a firm, flat mattress
Ensure that you are sleeping on a firm, flat mattress when co-sleeping with your baby. Avoid using water beds or mattresses that are too soft, as they can pose a suffocation risk.
Avoiding soft materials underneath the baby
It’s crucial to avoid placing any soft materials underneath your baby while co-sleeping. This includes things like lambswool underlays or pillows, as they can increase the risk of overheating and accidental suffocation.
Moving the bed away from the wall or furniture
To prevent your baby from getting trapped between the bed and the wall or other pieces of furniture, it’s important to move the bed away from these potential hazards. This simple step can help ensure your baby’s safety and reduce the risk of injury.
Preventing the risk of falling
If you are concerned about your baby rolling out of bed and falling onto the floor, there are measures you can take to minimize this risk. Ensure that your baby is not placed close to the edge of the bed, and consider placing the mattress directly on the floor to provide extra protection against accidental falls.
Positioning your baby for safe co-sleeping
How you position your baby while co-sleeping can greatly impact their safety. Here are some guidelines to follow:
Placing the baby to the side of one caregiver
To reduce the risk of suffocation and entrapment, it’s important to place your baby to the side of one caregiver rather than between two caregivers. This helps prevent the baby’s head from becoming covered or slipping beneath the adult bedding.
Avoiding placing the baby between two caregivers
Sleeping with the baby between two caregivers can increase the risk of accidental suffocation and overheating. To prioritize your baby’s safety, it’s best to position them to the side of one caregiver instead.
Sleeping the baby on their back
Always place your baby on their back to sleep when co-sleeping. Sleeping in this position has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) compared to sleeping on the stomach or sides.
Ensuring clear space around the baby
To minimize the risk of suffocation and entrapment, it’s important to keep the sleeping space clear of any blankets, pillows, sheets, doonas, lambswools, or soft toys. These items can pose a serious risk to your baby’s safety.
Preventing suffocation and overheating
Suffocation and overheating are major concerns when it comes to co-sleeping. Here are some steps you can take to mitigate these risks:
Avoiding pillows on the side of the baby
Placing pillows on the side of your baby can increase the risk of overheating as well as suffocation. It’s best to keep pillows away from the sleeping area to promote a safe and comfortable environment.
Not using blankets, pillows, sheets, doonas, or soft toys within reach
As mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to keep the sleeping space clear of any items that could potentially suffocate or entrap your baby. This includes blankets, pillows, sheets, doonas, and soft toys. Instead, opt for a safe sleeping bag to keep your baby warm if needed.
Using a safe sleeping bag instead of blankets
Rather than using blankets, which can pose a suffocation risk, consider using a safe sleeping bag designed for babies. This ensures they stay warm without the danger of loose bedding.
Not wrapping or swaddling the baby while co-sleeping
While wrapping or swaddling your baby can be a great sleep practice, it’s important not to do so while co-sleeping. This can increase the risk of suffocation and should be avoided in this context.
Informing your partner about the baby’s presence
When co-sleeping with your baby, it’s essential to communicate with your partner and make sure they are aware of the baby’s presence. This helps prevent accidental harm or disturbances during sleep.
Ensuring your partner is aware that the baby is in the bed
Let your partner know when you have placed the baby in the bed for co-sleeping. This ensures that they are aware of the baby’s presence and can take precautions to keep them safe.
Promoting communication and awareness during co-sleeping
Encourage open communication and awareness between you and your partner while co-sleeping. This helps create a shared responsibility for the baby’s safety and ensures everyone is attentive to their needs.
Situations when it is never safe to co-sleep
While co-sleeping can be made safer by following the guidelines mentioned above, there are certain situations when it is never safe to co-sleep with your baby. These situations include:
Co-sleeping with a caregiver who is a smoker or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Sharing a bed with a caregiver who smokes or is under the influence of substances that cause sedation significantly increases the risk of sleep-related infant death. It’s crucial to avoid co-sleeping in these circumstances.
Co-sleeping with a premature baby or a baby with low birth weight
Premature babies or babies with low birth weight have an increased vulnerability to sleep-related infant death, especially when co-sleeping. It’s best to ensure these babies have a separate and safe sleeping environment.
Using adult bedding that may accidentally cover the infant
The use of adult bedding, such as doonas or pillows, can accidentally cover the infant during sleep, leading to suffocation. It’s important to avoid using adult bedding when co-sleeping.
Co-sleeping with other children or pets
Sharing a bed with other children or pets increases the risk of sleep-related infant death for the baby. It’s important to create a separate sleeping space for the baby to ensure their safety.
Placing the baby to sleep on a sofa, bean bag, water bed, or saggy mattress
Sleeping on a sofa, bean bag, water bed, or saggy mattress with the baby significantly increases the risk of sleep-related infant death. These surfaces are not safe for co-sleeping and should be avoided.
Risks associated with co-sleeping
While the tips provided above can help reduce the risks associated with co-sleeping, it’s important to understand that these risks can never be completely eliminated. It’s crucial to stay informed and aware of safe sleeping practices to prioritize your baby’s safety.
Understanding that risks can never be completely eliminated
No matter how careful you are, co-sleeping poses inherent risks. It’s important to acknowledge this and take steps to minimize those risks as much as possible.
Recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Red Nose Australia
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and Red Nose Australia recommend against co-sleeping and instead advise parents to place their babies on their back to sleep in a crib, bassinet, portacot, or play yard. Following their recommendations can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
Conclusion
While co-sleeping may be a reality for many parents, it’s essential to prioritize safe sleeping practices for your baby. By setting up the co-sleeping environment correctly, positioning your baby safely, preventing suffocation and overheating, informing your partner, and being aware of the situations when it is never safe to co-sleep, you can make co-sleeping as safe as possible. However, it’s important to remember that alternative sleeping arrangements like cribs, bassinets, or play yards are recommended to ensure the highest level of safety for your baby.